An increasing number of states are conducting lotteries in which the participants select their own number which if it matches the numbers drawn in the lottery with result in the awarding of prizes, usually a predetermined amount of money. In many of these lotteries, the participants have to make a relatively large number of selections, for example, in the state of Ohio, the participant makes a selection of six numbers out of a possible forty for a single ticket at a predetermined price. The numbers range consecutively from 1 to 40.
The requirement of making such a high number selection presents difficulties as well as intrigue to a majority of the participants. Many people use the dates of special occasions, such as birthdays, social security numbers, addresses, or the like. Other participants develop complicated mathematical systems based upon past winning numbers, astrological determinations and the like. Whereas other participants devise means of randomly selecting such numbers entirely by chance.
Various devices have been developed for providing a random selection of a predetermined number for use by participants such as numbered balls which move through various apertures in an enclosed chamber and into a viewing area. Examples of such prior devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,273,335; 4,373,728; and 4,403,775. Although these devices do provide a device for randomly selecting a number for the participant, it is believed that our device provides an intriguing means of selecting such a number which provides increased mystigue to the element of chance for the user.